Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 195

Chap. Ill]

§

No doubt

T^YO KINDS OF SCIENCE

49.

the antitheses sometimes assume an entirely dif-

ferent character in the

domain

171

domain

of palingenesis than in the

No

of naturalistic science.

atheistic, materialistic,

nor pessimistic system can flourish in its soil. Its schools, therefore, bear different names and divide themselves after

But

different standards.

as after the entrance of the Chris-

tian religion into the world, the schools of Alexandria, of

Antioch, of North Africa, of Constantinople, and of Rome, each bore a type of its own, so it has remained through all the ages, tation life

is

and

now, and shall be to the end. conflict are the hall-mark of

Friction, fermen-

every expression of

on higher ground in this present dispensation, and from

no escape.

this the science of the palingenesis also effects

Three

objections

may

here be

raised

that

(1)

:

this

bound to the content of revelation (2) that its liberty is impeded by the ecclesiastical placet and (3) that its result is determined in advance. A brief remark is in

science

is

;

;

place on each of these three objections.

Since the investigating subject is changed by palingenesis from what he was before, he will undoubtedly assume a different attitude towards the Revelation of God. He will no longer try, as in his naturalistic period, to denounce that Revelation as a vexatious hindrance, but will feel the need of it, will live in it, and profit by it. He will certainly thus but in reckon with that Revelation, no other way than that in which the naturalist is bound to and must reckon with the existing cosmos. This, however, would destroy the scientific character of his knowledge, only if this Revelation consisted of nothing but a list of conclusions, and if he were not allowed subjectively to assimilate these conclusions. is

by no means the

Word

of

God

The Revelation

case.

This, however,

offered us in the

gives us gold in the mine, and imposes

the obligation of mining

it

;

and what

is

mined

is

upon us

of such a

nature, that the subject as soon as he has been changed palingenesis, assimilates

it

in his

relation to the deepest impulse

own way, and

brings

it

by in

and entire inner disposition

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